Five WorldTour teams have been announced for the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, as part of 18 squads for the race which begins on 2 September in Lincoln.
British team Netcompany-Ineos will be there, as they have for every Tour of Britain since 2010, along with recent Tour de France winners UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Also taking part are Belgium-based Soudal Quick-Step, the most successful team in the modern history of the event (having taken 27 stage wins), plus Decathlon CMA CGM (France) and NSN Cycling (Switzerland), who count British rider Lewis Askey among their ranks.
This is one better than the number of WorldTour teams who took part in 2024, but it’s significantly down from the nine who competed in Britain’s biggest bike race last year, with Visma-Lease a Bike among the top teams not returning in 2026.
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Because the Tour of Britain is a ProSeries event, rather than part of the WorldTour circuit, the UCI’s elite teams are not obliged to be part of the race, and several factors influence sporting directors’ decisions about whether or not their squads should participate.
For starters, the Tour of Britain overlaps with the Vuelta a Espana, which is a WorldTour event. Once upon a time, teams would toss up whether to use the Tour of Britain or the Vuelta as a warm-up for the UCI World Road Racing Championships, which are due to be held in Quebec, Canada, 20–27 September. However, this year the British tour has been reduced to a five-day format – to maintain equity with the Tour of Britain Women’s race – which has arguably reduced its appeal as ideal preparation event.
Another undeniable factor impacting the decision-making process of teams based in the European Union, when contemplating the pros and cons of taking part in the Tour of Britain, are the significant additional costs and logistical hurdles caused by Brexit.
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Nevertheless, the competition for the green jersey will be intense, and joining the WorldTour teams will be several pro teams, including Pinarello Q36.5 – who count 2022 Tour of Britain runner-up Tom Pidcock and current national road race champion Fred Wright among their squad – and Swiss team Tudor, who finished third overall in last year’s team’s classification.
Flanders-Baloise (Belgium) are returning for their 13th time at the Tour of Britain, having won the first version of the modern race in 2004 and taken home the king of the mountains jersey in 2025, thanks to the climbing skills of Victor Vercouillie, while Modern Adventure Pro Cycling from the USA are making their debut.
Eight UCI Continental teams are also taking part for the first time, including St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 from France, who have a 30-year history in the sport and have participated in the Tour de France participations, and the Germany based squad Bike Aid, who promote cycling in developing countries and champion humanitarian and social causes.
Completing the line-up is the Great Britain Cycling Team, participating in the tour for the 19th time, providing home fans with a chance to see the country’s most promising riders racing against the world’s best teams on home roads.
“With experienced teams and exciting emerging talent all represented, fans coming to watch can look forward to five days of world-class, competitive racing at the Lloyds Tour of Britain,” said Lloyds Tour of Britain Race Director Jonny Clay.
“The line-up will showcase what makes Britain such a special place to race, producing some entertaining racing across five challenging stages. We look forward to another memorable edition of the Lloyds Tour of Britain that celebrates the best of cycling in this country.”
Full team line-up for the Tour of Britain
UCI WorldTour Teams: Decathlon CMA CGM (France), Netcompany-Ineos (Great Britain), NSN Cycling (Switzerland), Soudal Quick-Step (Belgium), UAE Team Emirates-XRG (UAE).
UCI Pro Teams: Modern Adventure Pro Cycling (USA), Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling (Switzerland), Flanders-Baloise (Belgium), Tudor Pro Cycling (Switzerland).
UCI Continental Teams: APS Pro Cycling by Cadence Cyclery (USA), Bike Aid (Germany), BHS-PL Beton Bornholm (Denmark), Lucky Sport Cycling (Sweden), St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 (France), Storck-MRW Bau (Germany), Tarteletto-Isorex (Belgium), United Shipping (Hungary).
National teams: Great Britain Cycling Team
